Jackie Robinson
Jackie Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia, to Jerry and Mallie Robinson. His mom named him after Teddy Roosevelt because of the latter’s leadership and opposition to racism. Both of Jackie’s parents were sharecroppers. The marriage was rocky and Jerry departed not long after Jackie was born, so Mallie moved the five children, along with other relatives, to the west coast, settling in Pasadena. Jackie’s mom worked as a domestic, teaching the children religion, the value of education, self-discipline and family. Sunday was a day for church.
The Robinsons were poor so Jackie pitched in by cutting people’s lawns and hawking hot dogs at sporting events. Neighbors weren’t pleased with the black family but somehow Mallie eased tensions. Once Jackie and his friends were the recipients of disgusting slurs, so he applied some tar to the offender. His mother forced him to make amends to the guy, giving him some feathers. No, Jackie had to clean up what he had done. Mallie was only following the Bible, which asked Christians to bless those that persecuted them.
While at John Muir Technical High, Jackie was an extraordinary athlete, lettering in four sports, baseball, football, basketball, tennis and track. Mack, his brother, may have been a bigger star, as he won a silver medal at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, finishing right behind Jesse Owens. When Mack returned to the states he had trouble finding a good job.
In 1937, Jackie entered Pasadena College where he continued showing his athletic prowess. He quarterbacked the team, stole bases in baseball and broke the broad jump record that his brother set. His achievements at the college included: joining two other blacks as the first students of color elected to the Lancers, a school service organization; All-Southland Junior College baseball team; Pasadena’s Most Valuable Player of the Year in 1938.
Jackie was arrested in January 1938 when his friend, Jonathan Nolan began singing, “Flat Foot Floogie,” which didn’t sit well with a policeman. I don’t think that the third word is offensive, but a “flat foot” could refer to an officer, who wound up with flat feet after pounding the beat. Jackie spent a night in jail but then a judge suspended the sentence since he knew of the lad’s status as a star on the gridiron. When he met Methodist preacher, Karl Downs, Jackie was taught to hold back on anger even under situations that called for a retort, practicing Christian manners. The athlete was inspired and developed a deeper religious faith. Jackie possessed a bad temper but managed to exhibit control when times were challenging.
In the summer of 1939, his brother Frank was killed when a car hit his motorcycle, deeply affecting Jackie. Not long after that an incident occurred with a white man and dozens of blacks. Eventually most of those involved left, except for Jackie, and a policeman pulled a gun on him. He was arrested, spent another night in jail but pleaded not guilty and was released on a twenty-five dollar bond.
That same year, Robinson led the UCLA football team to victory after victory. At school in late 1940, he met a woman, Rachel Isum, who changed his life. In the days that followed as his love for her grew, he set records in track, posted the basketball scoring title and majored in four sports. Supposedly, baseball was his worst sport despite the fact that he went 4-for-4 in his first game and stole home twice. Authorities haven’t found it yet. Jackie left school before graduating, thinking he could play professional football, but no one offered enough money so he got a job as athletic director with the National Youth Administration. He then joined the Honolulu Bears, a semi-pro football team and starred. He left the team on December 5, 1941 – no doubt a good move. Soon he was a member of the U. S. Army, although in a segregated unit. This was only the beginning of the many times that he would come face-to-face with racism. Fortunately, his faith saved him on numerous occasions.
His next job was with the Negro team, the Kansas City Monarchs. The war in Europe may have ended but there was another in the states – whether major league baseball should integrate. Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers made it happen by signing Jackie to play in Montreal, a minor league team associated with the Dodgers. Like many others, Branch knew of Robinson’s outstanding talent, but was concerned about whether the lad could take all the abuse, slurs and racism that were sure to come Jackie’s way. Learning more about Robinson’s Christian upbringing and tolerance, he figured he would manage so Rickey signed the star and hoped to add him to the Brooklyn team in 1947.
Rachel and Jackie married on February 10, 1946. Since training camp was in the Jim Crow south, they felt its effects when he joined the team as well as on the way. They were treated as second-class citizens by third class ones, or worse. Playing for Montreal in that league’s opener, Robinson had four hits including a three-run homer, scored four runs and batted in three in leading his team to a 14-1 trouncing of Jersey City. For the year, if he wasn’t the best player in the league, he was among the top five as he batted .349 and was the first player on the team to win the batting crown. Montreal won the pennant by more than eighteen games. After the season ended, he returned to Los Angeles to be at the birth of his son.
In April 1947, Jackie was summoned to a meeting with Branch Rickey and the rest is history. Robinson made it onto the roster of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 with the number 42 on his back, thanks to Branch. A great deal of stress was placed on him since he needed to prove that he was as good as the other players on the Dodgers. Actually, he was called on to be better than them because of the color of his skin. His first year at Brooklyn was filled with taunts and assaults on his character because of this. Jeers came from the stands and even from the opposition. Describing what he heard, Jackie said, I could hardly believe my ears. Jackie – as he was supposed to do – just ignored the obscenities. On one occasion, the racism continued, but infielder Eddie Stanky yelled to the opposing dugout, listen, you yellow-bellied cowards, why don’t you yell at somebody who can answer back. This didn’t stop all the nasty remarks, but unified the team as they stood up for the first African American to make it to the major leagues.
In 1947, Robinson batted .297 and was voted Rookie of the Year. He had 175 hits, scored 125 runs and led the league in stolen bases and sacrifices. Count Basie recorded a song about him and Robinson played the title role in the 1950 movie, The Jackie Robinson Story. Robinson retired at the age of 38. He soon had a job with the Chock Full O’Nuts company. He played his entire baseball career for only the Dodgers. After leaving the game he could spend more time with his wife and three children, Jackie, Sharon and David. He helped the poor, visited sick children in hospitals and stood up against the use of drugs. He was the first black analyst of the Major League Baseball Game of the Week on ABC. In the late 1960s, he suffered heart attacks and in the 1970s was diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes. He lost most of his vision. The pressure to put up with all the abuse he received shortened his life. On October 24, 1972, he passed away at the age of 53. For most of his life he followed the words of Jesus,
Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
His career was outstanding with a lifetime batting average of .311. Jackie played on the World Champion Dodgers in 1955 and made the All-Star team six times. In 1949, he was the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and won the batting title, both in the National League. Twice he led the National League in stolen bases. All major league teams retired Robinson’s jersey number.
In 2013, actor, screenwriter and producer Chadwick Boseman portrayed him in the movie, 42. A 1947 poll listed him as the second most popular man in the United States. Bing Crosby was number one. Time magazine placed him in the one hundred most influential people of the twentieth century. No other second basemen had more votes when he was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
Two other outstanding players who didn’t precede Robinson into the majors were Leroy Robert Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson. Paige may have pitched longer than any other baseball player in history. When he was born, he had on a pitcher’s glove. Years later a baseball scout headed over to Paige’s home and was told by his mom that he was in the woods trying to get some dinner. The representative went there and found Paige tossing rocks at squirrels and hitting each one. The scout mentioned that he didn’t realize that Satch was left-handed. Paige replied, I ain’t left-handed, but if I use my right hand, there’s nothing left to eat.
Seriously though, Cardinal hurler Dizzy Dean said, I’ve seen all of them except Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson, and I know who’s the best pitcher I’ve seen, and it be old Satchel Paige.
In the mid 1930s, Satchel pitched for the Bismarck Corwin-Churchills in a two-week series and was the MVP of the tournament with four wins and sixty strikeouts. Bismarck centerfielder Quincy Trouppe was told by promoter Raymond Hap Dumont that a baseball scout had highest praise for the Bismarck team and that he would recommend paying each of you boys $100,000 to play ball if you were white. In the late 1930s, Shirley Povich wrote:
There’s a couple million dollars worth of baseball talent on the loose [in the Negro leagues], ready for the big leagues, yet unsigned by any major league. There are pitchers who would win 20 games this season for any big-league club that offered them contracts, and there are outfielders who could hit .350, infielders who could win quick recognition as stars, and there is at least one catcher who at this writing is probably superior to Bill Dickey.
Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron each pounded out over 700 round-trippers, but catcher Josh Gibson may well have surpassed both of them. Most likely he hit the longest four base hits ever and in great quantities. During the 1932 season against the Black Yankees, a homer he hit supposedly traveled 500 miles. It landed on a truck moving along the Pennsylvania Turnpike and just kept on going. That’s a stretch but four and five hundred feet homers were common for him, even against major league pitchers, including two dingers off Dizzy Dean in York, Pennsylvania – the first over the center field wall and the second one even longer than the first. Supposedly after the game, Dean said that if the Cardinals had Josh and Satchel, We’d win the pennant by July fourth and go fishin’ the rest of the season.
Walter Johnson would add,
That boy is worth $200,000 of anybody’s money. He can do everything. He hits the ball a mile. And he catches so easy; he might as well be in a rocking chair. Bill Dickey isn’t as good a catcher. Too bad this Gibson is a colored fellow.
Gibson’s homers were legendary, but not in the sense of fables. It was rumored that he smacked over 800 homers in his playing days, which seemed to be supported by Barry Bonds, who in one of his press conferences, mentioned Josh’s 800 home runs. Historians mentioned that Gibson was of the best home run hitters and catchers in baseball history. He was the black Babe Ruth and Ruth was the white Josh Gibson.
Were Paige and Gibson the greatest baseball players of all time? Joe B. Scott, outfielder for the Memphis Red Sox, rated Virgil Trucks as one of the top two pitchers he ever faced. The other top pitcher was Satchel Paige. When Satchel battled Josh, he always seemed to come out on top, but it wasn’t easy. Leroy mentioned that Josh was the toughest batter he faced.
Besides Paige, Robinson and Gibson, the list of outstanding talent in the Negro Leagues includes familiar names like Ernie Banks, Pancho Herrera, Elston Howard, Roy Campanella, Larry Doby, Monte Irvin and Don Newcombe. A few others among many include Hank Thompson, Chester Arthur Chet Brewer, John Wesley Donaldson, Walter Dobie Moore, Buck O’Neil, Buck Leonard, Cool Papa Bell, Judy Johnson, John Henry Lloyd, Oscar Charleston, Rube Foster and Ray Dandridge. Many times all-stars from this list played against all-stars from the major leagues, with Paige pitching. More often than not, Paige’s team came out the victors.